


Grace and the Patient

by KESwriter



Category: Doctor Who, Doctor Who (2005)
Genre: Friendship, Hurt/Comfort, Sick Doctor (Doctor Who), scary illness
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-05-19
Updated: 2020-05-28
Packaged: 2021-03-03 04:55:14
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 7
Words: 10,392
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24269302
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/KESwriter/pseuds/KESwriter
Summary: For the last twenty years, Grace Holloway has been working at a secret medical hospital for aliens in Nevada known as Area Fifty-One. Days before her retirement, they receive an alien distress signal, followed by the arrival of a Blue Police box.The Doctor is sick and the Fam is panicking. They must learn to trust Grace, and find out what is hurting the Doctor. But it is no coincidence the Doctor was brought to Earth, as answers to the origin of the of the Doctor are revealed.
Comments: 10
Kudos: 25





	1. Chapter One

Grace:

My retirement was looming. I had done my job well, and it is time to let someone else lead. Today I’d formally meet my replacement.

I did my usual stretches and light cardio before preparing for the day. Out of habit, I looked out my kitchen window as I sipped my coffee. There was a sea of sand and dirt outside. Nothing like the view of the cityscape in San Francisco, I was once used to. But that was almost twenty years ago.

The drive is equally dull. The occasion mountain filled the terrain. I gave up on keeping my car free of Nevada dust years ago. After passing through the gates, my blue Mercedes looked like the rest of the dusty cars in the lot.

My assistant Tracy waited for me to clear security. Almost half my age with short auburn hair, she was the picture professionalism and always wore a good-natured smile.

“Your messages,” she said, as she handed me slips of paper.

It was the usual mix of messages from Alphabet City: FBI, CIA, and NSA. Nothing that couldn’t wait until after I met my replacement.

“Your nine o’clock is already here,” Tracy said. “Security finished clearing her quicker than planned.”

It was only eight-thirty.

“Give me ten minutes, and then send her in,” I said.

Anna Faye was dressed in a black pantsuit with a white dress shirt. With blond hair in a neat bun, she seemed to be trying very hard not to look nervous.

“Relax, you already have the job,” I said kindly and as I walked through the reception area.

She smiled at me weakly.

“Has Tracy offered you water, coffee, tea, or soda?”

“I declined,” she said in a small voice.

“Tracy, get her some tea,” I said. “It will help calm your nerves.”

“Sure thing,” Tracy said.

“Thank you,” Anna said.

I went into my office and booted up my computer. I scanned the security log. No new medical cases. A few had recovered and sent to Roswell for transport. Nothing out of the ordinary. Next, I checked my emails and found nothing that couldn’t wait. Business as usual.

Tracy buzzed me.

“Are you ready Dr. Holloway?”

“Send her in,” I said.

Anna entered. She looked less likely to jump out of her skin.

“Did the tea help?” I asked.

“Yes, thank you,” she said.

“Have a seat,” I said.

She nervously sat on the edge.

“Tell me, Anna,” I said sitting back. “What did they tell you about the job?”

“I was applying for position as head of atypical biology for the CDC when they told me I’d earned the position of Director for special projects at Groom Lake AKA Area Fifty-one.”

“What else?” I asked.

“That I’d be dealing with the treatment and study of extraterrestrials,” she said.

“You didn’t believe they existed, did you?”

“I believed they could in theory,” she said and paused. “But no, I didn’t believe they were real in the sense that we were actually treating them.”

“The good news is, you have the leadership skills and political savvy, from what I’ve read,” I said. “You also know more than you realize about alien biology from what I’ve read of your research.”

“What’s the bad news?” she asked.

“You need to start believing in what you have only known as science fiction.”

“Can I ask you something?” she said.

“I think I know what, but I’ll let you ask it.”

“I don’t know much about you,” she said. “Your papers date back to the nineties. I couldn’t find anything else except that you were a doctor stationed at Groom Lake.”

“Okay,” I said rubbing my hands together. “My origin story dates back to nineteen ninety-nine, on the cusp of two thousand. The first alien I encountered, I accidentally killed.”

Anna gasped.

“He was humanoid but with two hearts, that I wasn’t aware of. Several hours later he came back to life in a changed body. He called himself the Doctor.”

“He spoke English?” she said.

“You’ll find a lot of them do,” I said.

“What happened to him?” Anna asked.

“He offered to let me travel with him in a British police box that was bigger on the inside, but I declined. The Doctor made me realize there was more the world here than I ever knew.”

“How’d you end up here?” 

“A couple months later, a suit approached me and said they saw my medical report and offered me a chance to learn and help other alien life forms survive. I agreed, traded the smog for dust clouds in Nevada. I became Director about ten years ago after working my way through the ranks.”

“Wow,” Anna said softly.

“Enough about me,” I said. “Let’s go see some aliens.”

I stood up and Anna followed suit. I led her to my private elevator and took it two floors down.

I scanned my ID to get in and Anna followed closely.

There was an orange mass of goo in a body sized glass cylinder one of my scientists was overseeing.

“Morning Ellen,” I said. “This is Anna Fay, my replacement.”

“Oh, that day has finally come,” she said.

“Tell us what we’re looking at,” I said.

“An alien from a goldilocks planet and a million light-years from earth,” she said. “It is known among the aliens as Foregal.”

“How do you know all that?” Anna asked.

“Because, we’ve had a few of them here before,” she said.

“What’s wrong with the alien?” I asked.

“He was aiming for a clean lake but ended up in one with a high toxicity ratio. We’ll need to treat him with probiotics for another day before we can release him.”

“Does he communicate with you?” Anna asked.

“You’ll find most aliens speak in three forms: Morse, Telepathy, and English, sometimes Mandarin. This guy is telepathic. Don’t let the telepathy scare you. They only want to talk, not invade your mind. Though we do have protocols for when that happens.”

Anna looked terrified.

Ellen laughed.

“It doesn’t happen often, and we’ve gotten very good at extraction over the decades.”

“Are you getting cold feet?” I asked.

“I already sold my home in Atlanta and put in a deposit for an apartment here,” she said. “No, telepathic invasion won’t scare me away.”

I laughed.

“That deposit must have been big.”

I turned back to Ellen.

“Anything else?”

“A few Heblings. They’re essentially salt water dolphins. We’re working on desalinating them before transferring them to a marine research facility.”

“How do things end up here?” Anna asked.

“We’re a beacon,” I said. “We send messages out in the three languages and urge them to come here if they need to visit while in distress and cannot mask their alien nature.”

“Aliens live among us?” Anna said. “Like the Men in Black movies?”

“Not really like that,” Ellen said. “The aliens have what we call an Array. It is basically warning label transmitted through the universe that this is a hostile planet to avoid.”

“What about invaders?” Anna asked. “Like Independence Day.”

“Oh, we’ve had a few invasions,” Ellen said. “The world governments bury them well. But the other thinking is that Earth lacks many of what most invasive species want: Resources. Humans aren’t that appealing.”

Ellen stared at Anna.

“Your head looks like it’s about to explode.”

“I want the job,” she said urgently. “I want to help all life forms. I want to lead this facility. I just need a breath.”

“I’ll you take to some place less overwhelming,” I said. “Let’s visit the communication center. The morgue can wait.”

“Don’t be a stranger Anna,” Ellen said. “And Grace, I’m working on your toast.”

“I can’t wait to hear it,” I said as we left.

We took the elevator up four floors. There was a dozen computers set up and people were working at them. The man at the biggest computer looked up at us.

“Hi, boss,” he said brightly.

“Tyler, this is Anna, your future boss. Anna this is Tyler, our head of communications.”

“A pleasure to meet you,” he said.

“Likewise,” Anna said.

“Any incoming messages?” I asked.

“An interesting one just came in,” he said and pulled it up on the monitor.

“What are we looking at?” Anna asked.

“That was my question,” I said.

It was a series overlapping circles and crescents with lines through them. They looked vaguely familiar.

“Have you traced it to any known language?” I asked.

“Nada,” he said.

“How was it sent?” Anna asked.

“Via the email address we transmit into space,” Tyler said.

“How long ago?” I asked.

“About five minutes ago,” he said.

“What do we do?” Anna asked.

“Run it through translation programs and wait for any atypical appearances across the globe.”

I looked the message and it had changed.

“Guys are you seeing what I’m seeing?”

“I don’t understand,” Anna said looking at it. “This was just circles and lines a second ago.”

“The alien’s telepathic translation program has entered our range of understanding,” I said.

The message was simple: Incoming Patient.


	2. Chapter Two

Yaz:

It started out like any normal adventure. They were visiting a place full of pyramids of every color.

“No, the pyramids weren’t created by aliens,” the Doctor said. “But aliens did inspire them. Senisians were very active at the time and liked to fill the dreams of other life forms with fantastic construction ideas.”

“Sounds creepy,” Ryan said.

“They’re harmless,” the Doctor said. “They feed on neural energy with the life form without realizing it. The universe is far more connected than humans realize.”

“What happened to them Doc?” Graham asked.

“Their society died out,” she said. “It happens from time to time. But their visions for structural design live on across the galaxies.”

I walked around and examined a pyramid that looked to be carved of sapphires. It sparkled under the two suns.

There was a round orange temple up ahead. I walked over to it and the Doctor followed me.

“Should we be worried about boobytraps?” Ryan asked.

“Someone has been watching too much Indiana Jones,” the Doctor said. “This was a peaceful civilization. It is a safe place.”

“Why aren’t there more visitors?” I asked as we walked into the cavernous structure.

“An asteroid belt protects it,” she said. “The TARDIS had to squeeze through some tight places to get here.”

“Wow,” I gasped.

Statues depicting aliens of every shape and form filled the chamber. There were made of what looked like jade, gold, and rubies.

“This is stunning,” I said.

“I assume you’re against lifting things,” Graham said. “I could buy a boat with just one of these tiny statues.”

“This is a tomb, not a trinket shop, Graham,” the Doctor said.

There was a flapping sound, and suddenly, what looking like purple bats with gold eyes flew over us. We covered ourselves with our arms.

“Is everyone all right?” the Doctor asked.

“I’m fine,” I said.

“Same,” Ryan said.

“I’ve been attacked by worse at this point while traveling with you,” Graham said.

“Good,” the Doctor said. “I say we take that as a sign to take our leave before anything else jumps out at us.”

She turned around led us out. For a moment she stumbled, and then fell to ground. She began to convulse.

I went into PC Khan mode. While the boys looked on in terror, I stepped forward and laid on her side. I pulled out my phone to time how long it lasted.

For three tense minutes, we watched as the Doctor convulsed. Eventually, she stopped. I quickly ran to check for a pulse. It was weak.

“We’ve got to get her back to the TARDIS,” I said.

Without asking, Ryan and Graham lifted her. Careful of jostling her, they quickly walked to the TARDIS. I opened the doors, and they rested her on the floor gently.

“What now?” Graham asked.

There was a hissing sound. I looked to see red bruises and green spots moving across the Doctor’s skin. She began to moan in pain.

“Do you think the sick bay has anything?” I asked.

As if in response, switches on the console began to flip on their own, and the TARDIS was put into motion.

“Where are we going?” Ryan asked.

The Doctor let out a loud moan.

I knelt beside her.

“Doctor,” I said. “Can you hear me?”

She let out whimper.

“Doctor,” I said urgently. “Do you know what is wrong with you?”

She briefly looked at me, and her eyes registered recognition.

“Hel—”

Green acid spewed out of her mouth. It hit me in the center and dissolved the collar of my shirt. I screamed in pain.

Graham stepped forward and pushed me away as the pain became a stinging sensation.

“You need to step away,” he said. 

Despite all my training, I was beginning to panic.

“Guys, we’ve stopped moving,” Ryan said.

There was a knock on the door. I ran forward to answer it. 

A man dressed in a white hazmat suit came in with a camera attached to his helmet.

“Are you the patient?” he asked.

“No,” I said, ignoring the pain. “The Doctor needs more help. She’s on the ground.”

“We’ll take care of you, just step outside.”

“Where are we?” I asked.

“Groom Lake in the year twenty-twenty. Also known as Area Fifty-One.”

“Wait, this place does hold aliens?” I could hear Ryan saying.

“Well you’ve been traveling with one, it shouldn’t surprise you that much.”

I stepped outside into a massive white tent that covered the TARDIS. Another person in a white hazmat suit appeared.

“Come on dear, let’s take care of that acid,” the woman said.

She sprayed my chest with something and the pain stopped.

“What was that?” I asked as I followed her to a white partitioned area. 

“Acid is generally the same across the universe,” she said. “It’s nothing we haven’t treated before. You’ll probably have a scar there for a few weeks.”

She led me to what looked like a shower station.

“Now the part no one likes,” she said. “You’ve been exposed something dangerous. We need to decontaminate you and your friends.”

I took the hint and began to undress. She offered me a bag for my clothes. I stepped under the shower head and warm water came out. Two more people in hazmat suits came forward and began to scrub me.

Another stepped forward with a tablet.

“The men are reporting you were on a planet inhabited by Senisians exploring a temple when purple bats with gold eyes flew over. You then left and the Doctor stumbled and began to convulse. For how long?”

“At least three minutes,” I said.

“You got in the TARDIS and that is when the moving red bruises and green spots appeared. When you knelt beside her, she spat acid on you, correct?”

“Yes,” I said. “She did regain consciousness and tried to say help I think, before spewing the acid.”

They rubbed me down and used a blow dryer on my hair. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw a gurney being lifted and moved through what looked a plastic tunnel.

“Is she going to be alright?” I asked.

“We don’t believe in lying here,” the woman said. “The answer is: We don’t know.”

They presented me with a pair of pale blue scrubs and booties. Then they beckoned me forward.

I stepped out from around the partition and found Graham and Ryan similarly dressed.

“Well that wasn’t fun,” Ryan said.

“You used to that sort of thing in hospitals,” Graham said.

“What now?” I asked.

“We’re going to take you to containment room until we know you aren’t contagious,” one of them said.

…

In what looked like a standard hospital room, they poked and prodded me some more. They asked me questions about my time traveling with the Doctor. I provided urine, blood, and saliva samples. They also provided me with a bandage for the scar that was growing on my chest.

My mind remained on the Doctor. She looked so sick and weak. Nothing like her usual self. I hoped this place that the TARDIS had dropped us off at had answers, and could cure her.

After an hour of sitting on bed with nothing to do but worry, a man in a lab coat came in.

“We found nothing irregular in your samples,” he said. “I’ll take you and your friends to the Director.

I followed him out and met Graham and Ryan.

“How’s the scar?” Graham asked.

“It doesn’t hurt,” I said. “It just feels kind of weird.”

The lab coat led us into a conference room with dark polished furniture.

“Have a seat,” he said before leaving and closing the door.

We all awkwardly took seats.

“Do you think they can help the Doctor here?” Ryan asked.

“They seem to be thorough and organized,” Graham said.

“I hope so,” I said. “Why else would the TARDIS bring us here?”

The door opened and a woman in her late fifties with faded reddish blond hair stepped in, followed by a woman in her early forties with blond hair. 

“Hi. I’m Dr. Grace Holloway,” she said. “Can I get you guys anything? We have water, soda, tea.”

“How about whiskey?” Graham asked.

Grace smiled.

“It’s one of those days, right? This is my future replacement, Dr. Anna Faye.”

Anna nodded with a weak smile.

“How is the Doctor?” I asked urgently.

“We’re monitoring her for now,” Grace said. “The disease is causing her significant pain, but I am hesitant to sedate her as we have not yet identified what she is infected with.”

“How could you identify the acid she spit on me but not the illness?” I asked.

“I can throw a bunch of bio-chemical mumbo jumbo at you, but more simply, acid that dissolves clothing and burns skin is essentially the same. We took samples off your clothes Miss. Khan and found it has the same structure of most acids we’ve encountered.”

“Call me Yaz,” I said. “What now?”

“I have all my best scientists and doctors working around the clock on this case,” she said. “We’re not going to stop until we heal her.”

“You don’t seem particularly shocked that a police box ended up here,” Ryan said.

“It takes a lot to surprise me these days,” Grace said.

“But it’s more than that,” I said watching her closely. “I can’t describe it, but you seem familiar to me.”

She nodded and smiled at me.

“Nineteen ninety-nine,” she said. “I was a surgeon in San Francisco treating a gun shot wound. I killed the Doctor because I didn’t know how to operate on a patient with two hearts. The next time I met him, his face had changed. Then I helped him save the world from the Master. He offered to take me for a ride in the TARDIS and I declined.”

“Why?” Graham asked.

“I wanted to perfect my craft, then I was offered a job here,” she said. 

She pulled out a tablet and stylus.

“I’ve read your reports,” she said. “You guys have gotten into some cool stuff. Helped save the world a few times. Defeated the Master, that belongs everyone’s bucket list. You had just saved the world from a microplastic disease.”

“That sounds about right,” Graham said.

“You don’t sound surprised that he’s a she now,” I said.

“She isn’t the only alien who does that,” Grace said. “Though she is the highest functioning life-form to do so.”

“Can you tell me how long this place has been running?” Ryan asked. “Do you have aliens working for you? What happened at Roswell?”

“Roswell is classified,” Grace said. “Area Fifty-One has been operable since the nineteen forties, and no we don’t.

“I don’t like this,” I said suddenly. “I don’t know what to do except worry about her.”

Grace offered her hand.

“She’s in good hands,” she said kindly. “The TARDIS wouldn’t have dropped her off here if it didn’t think we couldn’t treat her.”

“Can we see her?” I asked as I took it.

“In the morning,” Grace said. “It is just past six in the evening, here. I’m going get you guys equipped with badges so you can go to the dining room. We also have bedrooms for you, and if you’d like to call family there are phones in there. I am also letting you guys have access to the library.”

“Outstanding,” Graham said and then looked to Anna with a smile. 

“Some first day you’re having,” he said.

She let out a small laugh.

“I’ve warned her it only gets stranger,” Grace said.

“Thank you, Dr. Holloway,” I said politely.

“This isn’t standard protocol, but since this is the Doctor, call me Grace,” she said.

“Thank you, Grace,” I said.

Grace rubbed my fingers and then let go of my hand. She stood up.

“Your badges should be ready,” she said. “We have a Micheline star chef here who can make anything you want.”

“Excellent,” Graham said.

“How’d you get one of those?” Ryan asked.

I tuned the boys out. My main concern was the Doctor. I sensed Grace was holding something back about her history with the Doctor. I wasn’t sure I was ready to completely trust her.


	3. Chapter Three:

Grace:

Late at night I stood in the observation room, and watched as the Doctor tossed and turned in pain. The red bruises and green spots continued to move across her body. It was a miserable sight to see. She had vomited acid on three of the doctors in acid-resistant suits.

We were no closer to isolating the illness. From the examining her blood, the virus looked nothing anything we’d ever encountered. It was resisting all treatments. Frustrating didn’t begin to describe the situation.

Ellen appeared and watched the Doctor with dismay.

“You staying the night?” she asked.

“Night is always when something happens during a case like this, so yes.”

“Did you send your replacement home?”

“There’s no point in two of us being exhausted,” I said. “You don’t like her, do you?”

“There’s something I don’t trust about her,” Ellen said. “She’s a little too skittish, and has done nothing but follow you around without offering any insight.”

“This place is a little overwhelming,” I said. “But I do see your point. I’ll have Tyler do some digging on her.”

“Good,” Ellen said.

She then turned to me.

“We’ve known each other for fifteen years, Grace. I can tell when you’re holding something back.”

“It’s not relevant to the case,” I said.

“But it is to me,” she said.

I looked at the Doctor.

“When you’re in the Doctor’s orbit, nothing else matters. You’re one hundred percent dedicated to helping him-her succeed. It is thrilling as it is terrifying.”

“You loved him, didn’t you?” Ellen said.

“It was brief, but passionate,” I said. “I had experienced nothing else like it.”

“Do you regret not traveling with him?”

“No,” I said. “I have done good work here, and have seen things the rest of the world wouldn’t believe, without traveling in what looks like a police box.”

“But are there still feelings?” Ellen prodded.

I looked at the Doctor.

“I don’t think anyone truly gets over him-her.”

“You can suit up and see her if you’d like,” Ellen said. “She may even respond to you.”

“I have thought about it,” I said. “But her condition has deteriorated since she was admitted here. I don’t want to send her into shock at the sight of me.”

“That is a fair point,” Ellen said. “You really should get some rest. I’m going to hit the hay soon myself. We’ll be the first to know if something changes.”

“How many of the other team members sent you to tell me that?” I asked.

“All of them,” she said. “It was a group effort.”

“Fine,” I said with a huff.

After one last glance the Doctor, I turned away and began to walk. Ellen joined me.

“What do you think of her friends?” she asked.

“They don’t trust me,” I said. “Especially that Yaz.”

“As you said, this place is a lot to take in. I think it is hard for even those who’ve traveled the universe to believe that Area Fifty-One exists.”

“The guys are a little more relaxed,” I said. “But I sense that is a coping mechanism. Graham seemed to particularly enjoy the authentic southern fried chicken. But he too turned a gloomy not long after finishing it.”

“I still don’t understand why Torchwood and UNIT went under,” Ellen said. “We didn’t even get the chance to harvest data on the Doctor that could be useful right now.”

“Their government knew too much about what was going on,” I said. “With Brexit, it was decided that alien intervention programs weren’t worth the money.”

“It’s a wonder we haven’t been gutted, with the ‘space force’ being a thing,” she said.

“The advantage of being in the black box budget,” I said. “Any administration is on a need-to-know basis as far as what we do here.”

We approached the elevators and I used my badge to access my private elevator.

“Sweet dreams,” Ellen said as I stepped in.

I nodded as the doors closed.

…

I dreamed of the Doctor all night. The Doctor I knew. Our passionate kiss. The rush of saving the planet with him. It has always been hard to forget that night, after all these years. The memories have never been sharper in my mind.

I probably only got about five hours of sleep and then showered and changed. Without bothering to check for a report, I went down to the infirmary where the Doctor was.

Ellen was waiting.

“She started sweating profusely about three hours ago. Her temperature is high. We tried putting in a line of fluids, but couldn’t find any veins. She also kept thrashing and drenching the doctors with acid.”

“What’s the current prognosis?” I asked.

“We still don’t know,” Ellen said. “Humans would have died by now. The good news is, her vitals are holding up, despite all the trauma.”

He once claimed he was part human. But that was something I chose to keep to myself, for now.

“What next?” I asked.

“If we can’t get the fever under control, we might have to resort to putting her in an ice bath.”

“For this case, I’d like to have a look at a microscope. Be a little more hands-one.”

“What about your shadow?” Ellen asked.

“I’m having her work with Doug. She might actually enjoy the mundane parts of the job he handles as my second-in-command.”

“I like that plan,” she said.

I went over to observe the Doctor. Her gown was drenched in sweat and she was shaking in addition to tossing and turning as she moaned.

“I said I’d let her friends see her this morning,” I said with a sigh.

“This is only going to agitate them,” Ellen said. “Have you thought about wiping their memories and dropping them off where they came from?”

“That is only for extreme cases. The most they’ll do is yell at us. That was little ruthless-sounding for a doctor.”

“I’m being a pragmatic,” she said. “The longer they stay, the more they’re going to interfere with our work.”

“They could also help us calm her down,” I said. “No, I’d rather keep them close and face their wrath.”

“Better you than me,” she said with a shrug.

…

“I thought the TARDIS brought her here to make her better, not worse!” Yaz cried.

“I know this looks bad,” I said.

“Looks bad,” Graham said. “It is bad!”

“Why haven’t you found a way to help her!?” Ryan shouted.

“There are three over thousand life forms throughout the universe that have been documented here,” I said. “Three thousand things that could be killing the Doctor, that we know of. We are running multiple tests at once. Life is not like a television show. These specialized tests take time.” 

“Can I talk to her?” Yaz asked. “She seemed to react the last time I did.”

“Once we get her temperature down, I’ll arrange to set up a monitor so she can see you talk to her. But right now, I need you to be patient with me.”

“I’ll try,” Yaz said with a sigh.

“I don’t suppose we have any other choice,” Graham said.

“Fine,” Ryan said dully.

I saw tears blooming.

“I promise, I am doing everything I can to save her,” I said.

“If you say so,” Yaz said, almost accusingly.

I inwardly sighed. This was going to be tough.

…

I was given my own lab to examine the samples in. There was something here. I could feel it in my bones. 

Something was odd. The chemical composition of her blood: There should be more myosin and actin proteins as she had two hearts. Her hearts produced equal amounts of energy, not double. The DNA profile looked human, not a strand looked out of place for a blond woman in her thirties.

Next, I looked at the virus. On the surface, it looked any other circular virus with bumps. I looked up the sub-protein ratio. The number looked familiar. Closing my eyes, I racked my brain for what it meant.

Then it, hit me: It was the coordinates for Area Fifty-One.

The virus could hijack technology, the TARDIS. This wasn’t just some random alien they came across; someone orchestrated the attack to send her to us.

There was a knock on the door. Someone here might be pulling the strings. Who could I trust?

I cautiously opened the door. It was Ellen with two cups of coffee.

“Do you need to bounce ideas off someone?” she asked.

“It wouldn’t hurt,” I said with a shrug.

“I can tell something’s on your mind,” Ellen said as we sat down.

I bit my lip.

“You think someone summoned the TARDIS here,” she said.

“You’ve considered it?” I asked.

“Everything you’ve said has indicated that the TARDIS is the most advanced piece technology in the universe,” she said. “Why would it bring the Doctor here as it probably has resources we don’t?”

I sighed.

“How is the Doctor?” I asked.

“The ice bath didn’t bring her temperature down,” she said. “It made it higher, actually.”

“Her DNA is human,” I said. “I can’t find anything to indicate she isn’t.”

“You know, there is evidence that the genetic code of humanity has been altered,” Ellen said.

“Anecdotal evidence,” I said. “That’s the plot of In-humans, that aliens came and altered human DNA to produce special abilities.”

“All good science fiction is rooted in fact,” she said.

“It’s a comic book,” I said.

There was a knock on the door.

I answered it. Tyler was waiting.

“What brings you down here?” I asked.

“Research on your replacement,” he said.

I closed the door behind him.

“This can’t be good,” Ellen said. “What is she? A spy?

“Not human,” he said.

“I’m not ungrateful,” I said. “But I didn’t ask you to dig that deep.”

“My bug went looking for irregularities and found one,” he said. “Her blood has a high concentration of oxygen and proteins that I had to look up the names of. I think she has three lungs.”

“Restrict her security access,” I said. “I don’t want her near the Doctor.”

“Already done,” he said. “The system automatically locks out anyone with any irregularities.”

“Is anyone an Area Fifty-One historian?” I asked.

“I only know a ghost story,” Tyler said.

“I’ll take a ghost story,” I said urgently.

“This used to be silver mining country,” he said. “The story goes that they dug one tunnel, and the men came back hysterical and speaking in tongues. They sent more men and same thing happened. None of them recovered. A doctor wrote down what they were saying. People have tried to decipher it but have found nothing. Eventually, they sealed off the tunnel and labeled it Hell.”

“Has anyone tried to decipher it recently?” I asked.

“Not that I know of,” he said.

I logged on to a computer and start plugging keywords.

“I don’t suppose we should know where you’re going with this?” Ellen asked.

“It’s in the archives,” I said. “Psychologists tried interpreting it in the seventies, but the miner’s words weren’t scanned in as they were dismissed as having no intellectual value. The original documents are still there though.”

“I’ll bite,” Ellen said. “What happened to the tunnel?”

Tyler looked at the computer. 

“The next owner didn’t like risks. He filled the tunnel in and blew up the entrance.”

“So, who’d like to go down to the archives with me?” I asked.

“I still need to look after the Doctor,” Ellen said.

“I’m monitoring your replacement,” Tyler said.

“Okay, I’ll grab her companions,” I said.

“Is that wise?” Ellen asked.

“It’ll keep them out of your hair. What’s the worst that could happen?”

Ellen went into a closet and opened a compartment on the floor.

“Fate-tempting words,” she said. “Take this.”  
She pulled out a white gun barely larger than my hand.

“Is that really necessary?” I asked.

“We don’t know what we’re facing, so yes,” she said.

I took it.

“Wish me luck.”

“Stay safe,” Ellen said.

“Watch out for the Devil,” Tyler said.


	4. Chapter Four

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry if this is messier than usual. My editing isn't good, especially this late at night. I am really going for broke in trying to reveal the mystery of the Timeless Child.

Yaz:

Grace led us down the hall and to the lifts.

“Why are we going down to the archives?” I asked angrily. “Shouldn’t you be focusing on caring for the Doctor? Especially since you failed to get her temperature down!”

She didn’t say anything until we got in the lift and the doors closed. Grace turned to them.

“What has the Doctor told you about her origins?” she asked seriously.

“Not much,” Graham said. “She’s from the planet Galifrey, and can change her body.”

“She won’t take us there,” I said. “But what does that have to with anything?”

“It’s hard to say,” she said. “I don’t think your attack by a swarm of bats was accidental.”

“What?” Ryan said.

“Something or someone drew you here,” Grace said. “I need you to trust me.”

“Why should we?” I asked. “She’s only gotten worse since she was put under your care.”

“Yaz,” Graham said softly.

The lift opened and Grace left. I followed her with Ryan and Graham not far behind.

Grace faced me.

“I loved him,” she said. “I have never known a man who has made my heart beat the way he did. The fate of the world was at stake, and helping him was the most extraordinary sensation. The hardest thing I have ever done was turning down the chance to travel with him. But by doing so, I have been able to save countless lives of so many different forms.”

I stared at her. She only knew the Doctor briefly, but she knew what it was like to be her-his fam. I felt like I was looking at her in a different light.

Graham coughed.

“What are we doing down here?” he asked.

“The TARDIS translates languages for you right?” Grace asked as we walked into a room that was considerably cooler.

“Yes,” I said.

“The Doctor once claimed to me he was part human,” she said. “I didn’t exactly believe him, as I thought he was trying to get me to trust him more.”

“What are you thinking?” Ryan asked.

“Here is what I know,” Grace said. “Her DNA looks perfectly human. The sub-protein combination ratio for the virus is an exact series of numbers and that match the coordinates for Area Fifty-One. That is NOT a coincidence.”

“The TARDIS was forced to bring us here,” I said.

“That means this place is a trap,” Ryan said. “We need to get the Doctor out of here!”

“I don’t disagree with you,” Grace said as we entered a room full of metal shelves with gray boxes on them. “But the Doctor is very weak, and isn’t easily transportable.”

“What do we do?” I asked.

“Help me,” she said. “We’re looking for nineteen seventy-three box four. Miners in the late eighteen hundred emerged from a tunnel muttering gibberish. I hope the TARDIS can translate.”

I started to scan the labels, Graham and Ryan followed suit.

Ryan reached for one.

“I think this is it,” he said.

“Shouldn’t we be wearing gloves?” Graham asked. “I remember from a museum tour they wore gloves while handling documents to preserve them.”

“Different, institutions have different protocols,” Grace said. “Another school of thought is that whatever oil on the hands will do less damage than possible rips associated with gloves that lack the same grip as bare hands.”

She opened the box and started rapidly skimming through the file. Pulling out a file, we circled behind her to read.

“Our greatest gift is left at the gate,” Grace read out loud. “It is hard to leave a child behind, but she will usher in a new era of evolution among humanity. The child will be the rock by which Galifrey and the Timelords will be built upon.”

“You don’t think…” I said.

“I do,” Grace said.

“Wait,” Graham said. “How is the TARDIS able to translate this if the language is older than Galifrey itself?”

“Excellent question,” Grace said.

Without warning, the ground began to tremor, then violently shake. Boxes flew off shelves. I gripped one shelf tightly to stay upright as Graham and Ryan fell. Grace ducked as a box nearly hit her. After a minute, it stopped.

“Is everyone alright?” Grace asked.

“I’m glad my knees are in good shape for a man my age,” Graham said. 

“I’m okay,” Ryan said as he got up.

“I’m fine,” I said. 

“Let’s get out of here,” Grace said and led us the lifts.

“Is that safe?” I asked.

“This place is earthquake-proof,” she said.

“That wasn’t a coincidence was it?” Graham said.

“I doubt it,” Grace said.

Her phone began to ring. She pulled it out.

“Ellen you’re on speakerphone with Yaz, Ryan, and Graham.”

“I need you to come see this,” Ellen said. “Bring her friends if you want.”

“Care to drop any hints as to what I’ll be seeing?” Grace asked.

“It is beyond proper description,” she said.

Grace hung up.

“Do you trust Ellen?” I asked.

“She shares my suspicions,” Grace said.

“I’m almost afraid of what we’re going to see when we come up,” Ryan said.

“We’re going to see it together,” Grace said firmly.

…

The Doctor had sprouted silver-white wings. Gills along the sides of her neck. A third eye in the middle with a gold iris. She was writhing in pain and singing something untranslatable at the top of her lungs. The red bruises and green spots continued to traverse her skin.

Ellen had naturally gray hair in a bun at the base of her neck. She looked frustrated.

“Would anybody like to tell me what is going on?” she asked. “What did you find in the archives that caused an earthquake and the Doctor to start changing?”

“We think she’s from here,” Grace said. “She was left outside a ‘gate’ as a child for the genetic foundation of the regenerative abilities of the Timelords.”

“I don’t get it,” Ellen said. “The earth is only four and a half billion years old. It’s practically a baby in the universe. Some of the earliest evidence of humanity only dates by about six million years. How could she be the genetic base code for a species significantly more advanced than ours?”

“My head is spinning,” Ryan said. “I don’t remember this being discussed in school.” 

The door to the observation room opened. Ellen and Grace pulled white guns as Anna appeared.

“Everything you know about Earth is a lie,” she said calmly.

“What’s going on?” I asked.

“She has three lungs,” Grace said. “You’re not exactly from around here are you Anna? If that is your real name.”

“Grace, you are extraordinarily intelligent for a basic life form,” Anna said raising her hands. “But you still have a few things wrong.”

“What would happen if I shot you?” Ellen asked. “Would you ‘regenerate?’”

“I’ve regenerated a hundred fifty times,” she said. “Some timelords knew how to manipulate their regenerations. To answer your question, no. I have made this body quite resistant to basic human weapons.”

“Who are you?” I asked.

“I’m her mother,” she said. “And I want to bring her home.”


	5. Chapter Five

Grace:

“Why is she sick?” I asked.

“The Pteron initiates the process of marram by which the Doctor is to shed her old identities and become what she is: An Arivoli,” Anna said.

“Some of those words sound vaguely familiar,” Yaz said.

“It’s Tamil,” she said.

“One of the oldest living languages,” I said.

I looked at the Doctor, she looked like she was in pain as she sang.

“Shouldn’t she have a say in what is happening to her?” I asked. “Shouldn’t she have a choice?”

“She has never had a choice!” Anna shouted. “The Timelords experimented on her, wiped her identity, and positioned her a as being known throughout the universe as a guardian with no protection! No wonder the Master burned the citadel to the ground!”

“Galifrey is gone,” Ryan said softly.

“No wonder she’s been in such a state,” Graham said.

“But the text said she was sent to found the Timelords,” I said. “Why take everything she learned from them back?”

“We were fools,” Anna said. “We thought the people of Galifrey would live long and treat her as a god, a savior, not as a lab rat!” 

“This is positively New Testament biblical,” Ellen said.

“You’re correct in that regard, Ellen,” Anna said. “Humanity on Earth has also proven too foolish to be worthy of the return of Jesus.”

I looked at the Doctor. Her hair was growing and changing to a rainbow of jewel tones. Something had to be done. I couldn’t let a god decide her fate.

Pulling the door open to her room, I ran in. Anna quickly followed me. She pulled at me as I leaned over the Doctor. Someone was grabbing her as I leaned down and kissed the Doctor on the lips.

I thought our first kiss was out of this world. This was a whole new level. I felt every life she ever lived coursing through me. There was fear and confusion. Kissing her more deeply, I focused on my memories of her as a him with wavy hair. Oh, how I loved him.

“Grace.”

I was looking in the eye of the Doctor as I knew him. No wings, no gills, and no female anatomy. He was smiling at me.

“Nampikkai!” Anna shouted.

“Hi Mum,” he said lightly. “Where’ve you been all my life?”

“We had hoped they would have treated you better,” she said.

“The funny thing is Mum,” he said. “You could have stopped the pain millennia ago. But you kept watching it play out. You’re not my mum, you’re just a stranger to me.”

“We’ll make you better,” she said. “You don’t have to worry about ever losing anyone again. You’ll be a god.”

“I don’t need to be made better,” he said. 

“You don’t have a choice,” she said and blew on him.

He began to glow and writhe in pain again. Blood poured out of his eyes, nose, and ears. Ellen shot at her, but the bullet bounced off her back. I leaned forward to kiss him again, but he vomited blue acid that hurt so much it sent me tumbling to the ground.

I could feel my collar bone dissolving. It couldn’t end like this, I thought as I closed my eyes.

“Grace, every companion has a purpose in my life. More than a just a friend, assistant, or someone to make me feel smart, you are why I am the Doctor. It has never been about me; I am nothing without my friends.”

When I went to get the paper the day after the Doctor left, I found a flower on my doorstep. I had a feeling he had left it for me. It, wasn’t just any ordinary flower, I was certain. Now I knew why.

“Rose,” I sputtered out.

A blinding white light appeared. A woman with short blond hair in jeans and a t-shirt emerged.

“You can’t defeat me!” Anna roared.

“I’m not alone,” she said.

A woman with red hair cut her with a sword. A young woman with blond hair hit her, with a baseball bat. A woman with reddish-orange hair threw a syringe into her neck. Another woman with blond hair hit her with a tree branch. A man with curly dark hair punched her. A man with neatly dark trimmed hair stabbed her with a sword. A man in a kilt, hit her in the center with an ax. Men and women kept coming and attacking her with weapons of every sort except guns. Even a keyboard was used at one point by a woman with curly red hair.

I didn’t know how I was stayed conscious throughout witnessing all this. The pain was unbearable. Ellen had come over and sprayed my chest at one point I think, but it barely registered as my mind was otherwise occupied.

Anna fell the ground.

“Others will come after me,” she whispered.

Briefly locking eyes with me, she dissolved into water. It evaporated in a puff of smoke.

“Grace!” a female voice said urgently.

I could see the Doctor in her current form leaning over the bed looking at me with concern.

She looked better.

“How are you feeling Doctor?” I asked through the pain.

It was the last thing I remembered saying before drifting into oblivion.


	6. Chapter Six

Yaz:

We ate dinner in a private dining room. Grace was in recovery from surgery on her collar bone, and wouldn’t be ready for visitors for another hour. Someone was sent into the TARDIS to pick up a change of clothes for the Doctor to put on.

“I can’t believe how hungry I am!” the Doctor said as she ate a second fried egg sandwich. “That’s what happens when you’re forced to evolve and shed everything you thought you knew about your life.”

“Doc,” Graham said slowly. “Why didn’t you tell us about Galifrey?”

“I didn’t want you to worry,” she said after taking a swig of iced tea.

“But you’ve been on edge ever since then,” I said.

“We were beginning to wonder if we’d done something to make you mad at us,” Ryan said.

“You could never make me mad for long,” she said. “Even when you disobey orders intended to keep you alive. I’m used to it.”

“Doctor,” I said. “You lost your home. You’re grieving. Let us help you.”

The Doctor took a deep steadying breath.

“I don’t know what you expect of me. I don’t want to let you see me cry. I don’t like hugs. The last thing I want is for you to worry about me. To pity me.”

“We’re family Doc,” Graham said. “You’re never a source of our pity. Nothing will change that.”

“Were all the people who attacked Anna former companions?” I asked suddenly.

“Yes,” the Doctor said as she grabbed some chips. “Rose was my first companion after the Time War, and she absorbed some energy from the TARDIS, making versions of her in the universe quasi-immortal.”

“That was some hair you had when, you were with Grace,” Graham said.

“I trimmed it later,” she said defensively.

“Do you still harbor any romantic feelings for her?” I asked.

“Grace is the only companion to ever kill me,” she said. “She was also a fantastic kisser.”

“I don’t hear a no,” Ryan said.

“One day all of you will stop traveling with me for some reason: Death, exhaustion, wanting a life outside the TARDIS. I accept that. But I will always carry a piece of you with me in my hearts. That is what you saw today.”

“I wish you’d trust us more,” I said with a sigh.

“Don’t think this revelation of my genetic identity hasn’t changed me,” she said. “I just need time to think on my own. I love you three. I hate how I’ve hurt you when I thought I was protecting you.”

“Nobody’s perfect Doc,” Graham said.

“That’s right,” she said with a sigh. “Nobody is.”

…

The front of Grace was covered in plaster. She looked tired, but smiled as we approached her.

“I like the look, Doctor,” she said.

“Thanks,” she said. “How are you feeling? Can I get you anything?”

“I’m doing okay,” she said. “How about you? You’ve gone through quite a few changes.”

“Nothing I haven’t dealt with before,” she said with a wave of the hand. “The wings and the gills did feel weird though. I think I might have liked to have tried flying with the wings.”

Grace let out a weak laugh.

“I bet you would have.”

“We really should let her rest,” the Doctor said. “I’ll follow you out in a minute.”

Graham, Ryan, and I silently left. We found Ellen in the observation room. In silent agreement, we stood and watched.

“You know there are a dozen cameras on us,” Grace said.

“I know,” she said. “I still just wanted to be with you alone for a few moments. Even if alone is a relative term.”

Grace looked into the Doctor’s eyes.

“I never got over you,” she said. “No person in my life has ever measured up to you. I still love you, Doctor.”

The Doctor leaned in and kissed her. It was a long, passionate, kiss.

“Leaving you was one of the hardest things I ever did,” the Doctor said. “But I knew I gave you a gift. A renewed sense of purpose. I’ll always love you Grace. You killed me, and brought to life a new face. Thank you.”

“You are extraordinary Doctor,” she whispered.

“And so are you,” the Doctor said.

She kissed her gently on the forehead, and then turned around.

We scurried out of the observation room. I felt guilt for secretly watching an intimate moment between Grace and the Doctor. But part of me was glad I did.

…

I woke up to someone pulling at my sleeve. When I opened my eyes, I didn’t quite believe what I was seeing.

A child of gold light was looking at me. She was beckoning me forward. Not sure, what else to do, I got out of bed. She gestured at my shoes. I put them on, and followed her out the door.

Ryan and Graham were waiting outside my door.

“Who is she?” Graham asked.

“I don’t know,” I said.

She was skipping down the hall.

“This doesn’t seem like a good idea,” Ryan said.

“But it feels like it,” I said.

The child walked through the door and we opened it to a stairwell.

“That’s odd,” I said. “Shouldn’t these have alarms?”

“There is nothing usual about tonight love,” Graham said. “Let’s keep following the kid.”

I couldn’t tell where she was taking us. Down three floors, across two halls. Down another floor. It was in a zigzag pattern. I was growing dizzy, and I could tell Graham was getting tired.

She opened a door and we were drenched moonlight. The child beckoned us out into the cool Nevada desert. The ground was uneven and we were walking on a rocky slope. Graham and Ryan held each other for support.

Finally, we reached the entrance of a cave. She pointed for us to go in.

“Guys,” I said. “I think I know where we are.”

“I do too,” Graham said.

“Didn’t they go crazy after they went in?” Ryan asked.

“I don’t think we will,” I said. 

“Are you sure?” Ryan said.

The child was pointing impatiently.

“Yes,” I said.

Ryan shrugged and we walked together into the cave.

The Doctor was inside staring at a glowing blue tunnel.

“How’d you find me?” she asked.

“A little girl led us here,” I said. “What are you doing here?”

“I’ve never been good at goodbyes,” she said sadly.

“Doctor, no!” I said. “Grace sacrificed so much for you to stay here!”

“I need to know,” she said. “I need to know who I am. Where I’m from. I can’t stay here.”

“Please, Doc,” Graham said. “Don’t leave us!”

“You can’t,” Ryan said.

There were tears in the Doctor’s eyes.

“I’m sorry Fam,” she said and stepped towards the portal.

A figure emerged from the tunnel. He was dressed in gold robes with a long beard and flowing gray hair.

“You don’t have to,” the man said in a booming voice.

The Doctor looked at him closely.

“Dad?” she said slowly.

“I lost the right for you to call me that a long time ago,” he said. 

“Dad, I want to come home,” the Doctor said. “I’ve been traveling too long. I’ve lost my purpose. The universe means nothing to me.”

“Oh, but it does,” he said. “Stop fighting your feelings child. Embrace what you are: Human at heart.”

“I don’t understand,” the Doctor said.

“You cry, laugh, and smile like one. Embrace your humanity. I could bring you home, and you’d never have to worry about anything ever again. But, fairly quickly, you’d grow bored. You depend on humanity to give meaning to your life.”

“What about mum?” she asked.

“She’s only one voice among us,” he said. “She went rogue by trying to bring you home. But you fought, and proved you are more than what you came from.”

“What if I’m tired of fighting?” she asked. “So many wars, Daleks, and cybermen. What if I’m ready to move on?”

“Child,” he said softly. “Look into my eyes.”

The Doctor carefully looked up at him. The man’s eye glowed blue like diamonds. They reflected back into the Doctor’s.

She stumbled. I rushed forward and grabbed her.

“What did you see?” I asked.

“The universe,” she said. “Oh, it is so much bigger, more magnificent than I imagined! Thanks Dad!”

“Who are you?” Graham asked. “And what is this place?”

“I am older than time. Earth was constructed over the gate,” he said. “It is why she is drawn here. We come from a dimension of supreme knowledge and understanding no life form is ready to comprehend. She was sent to see if the universe could handle our knowledge. It isn’t.”

“Can I ask you a dumb question?” Graham continued.

“There is no such thing as a dumb question.”

“Is Jesus one of you?”

“That is a question, best answered by someone else at another time.”

“Don’t mind gods,” the Doctor said. “They’re not good about giving straight answers on a good day.”

“There’s that spark,” he said. “I am proud of you. You have done so much good.”

“How do I remember the rest of it?” the Doctor asked.

“That is your journey you must travel with friends to discover.”

“Thanks Dad,” she said and turned to us. “Fam, let’s go back to the hospital.”

I smiled and nodded. 

The Doctor held on to me tightly as we left the cave together.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> One more chapter. I can't wait to share it!


	7. Chapter Seven

Grace:

Area Fifty-One has access to special, experimental drugs, that allowed for me to heal quicker. In two days, I was up and walking about. My chest still hurt, but not nearly as much.

I spent a lot of time with the Doctor and her friends. She opened up to her friends more about her struggles in dealing with Galifrey being destroyed again. She also expressed her fear as to what the Master was plotting next. Her friends and I vowed to help her in whatever way we could, and made her promise not to bottle up emotions. It was truly a time for growth and sharing.

The Doctor and I sat on a blanket on the roof the night she was due to leave.

“So, what is next for you, Grace?” she asked.

“Easing back into work,” I said.

“What about retirement?”

“After reading Ellen’s report, the administration is considering an extension of my contract. Nothing is set in stone yet, but I think I’ll be here for a few more years.”

“You do amazing work here, Grace,” the Doctor said. “Keep it up.”

“Thanks,” I said.

“You know I have to ask,” she said with a smile.

“I still have a lot of work to do here,” I said with a laugh. “Ask me again another time.”

“I will,” she said. 

She leaned in and kissed me. I kissed her back.

“Does the change in face bother you?” she asked.

“No,” I said. “I can feel who you are in your heartbeats. You’re still the Doctor I fell in love with nearly twenty years ago.”

She kissed me again. I found myself reaching under her shirt. The Doctor stopped.

“Are your healthy enough?”

I nodded.

We undressed each other. The Doctor was truly beautiful. I had wanted the Doctor for a long time, regardless of anatomy. I wanted to feel the depth of her soul. Her inside me was a thing of extraordinary wonder and going inside her was equally ecstatic. She wasn’t as nervous as I thought she’d be. Some how it didn’t feel like we’d spent twenty years apart. We were perfect together.

I helped the Doctor put her clothes back on.

“It doesn’t look like I’ve had sex does it?” she asked anxiously.

I straightened her shirt and smiled.

“No.”

“Some aliens can tell when you’ve had sex,” she said.

“I know,” I said. “The Estronians. They aren’t afraid to ask.”

She laughed.

“That was lovely Grace,” she said. “Thank you.”

“I’ve never wanted to travel with you,” I said. “I’ve just wanted you.”

She picked up my hand and kissed it.

“You’ll always have me Grace,” the Doctor said. “I promise.”

“I’ll hold you to it.”

…

Yaz, Graham, and Ryan bid me goodbye before heading to the TARDIS.

“Grace it’s been a pleasure getting to know you,” Graham said. “You’re one of the loveliest Graces I’ve ever known.”

“Was the loveliest your wife?” I asked.

“How did you know?” he asked.

“You pick up on subtle things from trying to interpret the body language of aliens,” I said. “You say my name with a smile doesn’t reach the full extent of your face. I bet she was an extraordinary woman.”

“She was,” he said. “and so are you.”

He kissed me on the cheek and left for the TARDIS.

Ryan approached me.

“Thanks for saving the Doctor,” he said.

“I’d do anything for her,” I said.

“You may not have traveled with her, but you’re definitely family to her.”

“That means a lot from you.”

“Thanks again,” Ryan said and nodded.

I waved as he walked away.

“I’m sorry I doubted you,” Yaz said.

“It’s okay,” I said. “I would’ve too, if roles were reversed.” 

“You really do love her, don’t you?”

“I do,” I said with a nod.

“How do you keeping loving someone after they leave you?” Yaz asked.

“She never left my dreams,” I said.

I hugged her.

“Good luck, Yaz. Don’t be afraid to stop traveling with her. What you’re experiencing with her will live on in your memories, long after you forget how your muscles ached, from spending the day running.”

She laughed.

“I’ll remember that.”

We let go, and the Doctor was waiting at the entrance. She watched Yaz get in and smiled at me. Before going back in, she blew me a kiss and I sent one back. The doors closed, and seconds later, the TARDIS dematerialized. 

I stood for a moment and watched the now-vacant spot. I knew I’d see the Doctor again. It didn’t matter when. She lived on in my dreams, and my passion to help others. Loving the Doctor was truly the greatest experience in the universe.

Epilogue:

Ellen:

The origins of the Doctor are not as mysterious as people think. Writers and visionaries, for thousands of years, have been dreaming of how she exists, without it ever being recorded. Others have and they’re know as gods, which is only correct in a certain sense of the word. Greek mythology is full of them. The truth is, the identity of the origins of the Doctor is in the minds of every being in the universe. Some are just better at articulating it than others.

Less than a hundred years from now, Earthlings will flee to a goldilocks planet they’ll identify as Haven. From that planet, there is a star system visible with shapes that almost mirror each other. They will call it Harmonious Love.

The Doctor was not the first child left at the gate.

A boy was sent first. He was revered as a god. The beings who picked him up did not experiment on him, not at first. A new ruling authority came into powers and imprisoned him, subjected to torturous experiments as he changed genders. The sympathizers of the child managed to rescue him (then a her) and return the now-teenager here. The people stayed and became what are known as the Mesopotamians. The origins of the modern human is far more complicated than the average scientist realizes.

How do I know all this? I am guardian of the gate. When the child was returned, I took it upon myself to look after the child, as another was sent. Since the child was feared, it was determined that I would wipe the memory every time he (or she) died and move him to another part of the earth to spread enlightenment in a new form. I’ve changed forms also, countless times.

Who is he (she)? Haven’t you guessed yet? It was always intended that the children would meet one day. To birth something new. Reproduction is not defined by gender identity, or the exchange of fluids, but the intensity of the bond in the moment. The carrier of the new being is determined by chance.

Grace is looking at the night sky right now, wondering where the Doctor is. Little does she know, that the Doctor is carrying her child.

The story of Grace and the Doctor does not end here. It is only the beginning as written in the stars of Haven. 

TO CONTINUED IN “THE DOCTOR'S GUIDE TO THE GALAXY”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The thing you need to know about me is, I'm an ideas person. Chibnall opened the door, and I am taking full advantage of the possibilities. I love mythology and strange concepts. I aim for the stars, always. Please leave a nice constructive, comment, if you like what I'm doing. A sequel will be up in the coming days.


End file.
